The Lost Two
by Aniron peded
Summary: Prequel to Foolish Apprentice. Saix has closer ties to the Superior and the Keyblades than anyone knows.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Knosis is the only named character in this story that I have any claim to. All others are property of (in order of appearence): Disney, DreamWorks Pictures, Square Enix, and JK Rowling.

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The bacon was burning.

Ais pushed his hair out of his eyes before pulling the pan off of the stove and dumping the food on a plate. He'd only stepped out of the room for a moment, to wake up Izenu. Where did the bacon find the time to burn?

A yelp and a thump from upstairs told him his brother was deigning to join the waking world, namely by rolling off his bed. Ais's lips twitched; Izenu obviously hadn't been awake enough to realize he'd been positioned on the very edge of the mattress before Ais went back downstairs, a theory confirmed when the boy stomped into the kitchen nursing an arm.

"Jerk."

"A pleasant morning to you as well, Moonlight," Ais responded.

Izenu plopped in his seat, staring at his plate as if he wasn't sure what to do with it. Frowning, Ais set the bacon on the table and ruffled his brother's pale hair. "Have trouble sleeping or something, little brother?"

"Weird dreams," Izenu said He seemed to snap out of whatever trance he'd been in and scooped some eggs onto his plate, followed by slices of bacon. "You burnt it again?"

Ais took his own seat and helped himself to the food. "Maybe if you woke up in the mornings, you could cook it yourself," he suggested.

"_When your food's made by Ais, who's cooking's off-base_," Izenu sang under his breath. "_It's not quite gourmet, and more like bad hay_." His amber eyes sparkled mischievously at his brother, who simply shook his head.

"I'm going to strangle whichever Chaser taught you that, _and_ encouraged you to sing," he said between bites. "Genius you might be, but your singing is far worse than my cooking." Switching topics, he asked, "What kind of weird dreams were you having, anyway?"

A shrug. "Weird stuff. Platforms and doors and a voice I couldn't hear. It wanted me to make choices," he added with a frown.

Ais raised an eyebrow at him. "A voice you couldn't hear? What kind of choices?"

"I don't remember what they were, really. Just that it was totally bizarre, but really important at the same time."

"I think you've been studying too much. Unless you're going crazy, that is."

Izenu gave him a glare, though the effect was rather ruined by the mouthful of bacon. Ais grinned back, secure in his position as Annoying Older Brother.

Once the breakfast dishes were washed and put away, Izenu announced that he would accompany Ais to the compound. Lessons, he said, had been canceled that day because the professor was ill. Ais didn't push the issue – even if the professor wasn't sick, Izenu wouldn't miss an important lesson, especially on the whim they both pretended this was. It wasn't a very long walk from their small home to the Chaser compound. They were nearly there when Izenu commented, "I'm fifteen now."

"Are you really, Moonlight?"

"Don't call me that," was the automatic response. He took a deep breath and let it out in a puff, forming a small cloud in the cold air. "I'm old enough to join the Chasers now."

"Did you get tired of being our mascot?"

Izenu sent a sideways look at his brother, not bothering to answer the question. "The problem is, I need a marked Chaser to sponsor me as their apprentice before I can join."

Ais rubbed a finger thoughtfully over the large 'X' tattooed right between his eyes. "Do you really now?" An exasperated sound and a glare were his only answers. Grinning broadly, Ais draped an arm over Izenu's shoulders and pulled him through the compound's open gateway, waving at the pair on duty. He didn't call out to them, since it was impossible to know who they were under the helmets, and some of the senior Chasers disapproved of fraternizing while in uniform. His smile vanished, however, and he came sharply to attention when he spotted the man standing in the center of the small courtyard. Beside him, he sensed Izenu do the same, and saw the man's face soften just a fraction in response. Izenu always looked just like their mother when he did that. Kid knew it, too. "Commander Knosis!"

"Chaser Ais. Who is this that you have brought to me?" As if the two of them hadn't rehearsed this for the last two weeks.

"This is Izenu, son of Ithem, sir! I wish to sponsor him as my apprentice." He heard a sharp inhalation next to him, and stole a glance at Izenu. Other than parted lips and his large eyes, he hadn't moved a muscle. Ais felt pride swell in him at the self-control.

Baby brother would make a _fine_ Chaser.

hr

Much to Izenu's excitement, Ais's next call came only a day after the smithy finished fitting the armor to Izenu. It seemed a group of people were going around sealing worlds away with a key of some sorts. Ais doubted the process was as simple as the report claimed, since he had been to a few of the worlds now listed as "inaccessible". It would take a powerful device to prevent interplanetary travel, one that could not simply be flown about on a gummi ship. However these people were locking off worlds, though, they had to be stopped. Ais handed the report to his brother, saving the time and trouble of explaining it himself, and went to pack and begin readying the house for their absence.

An hour later, he went into Izenu's room and emptied out all of the texts on space travel and their destination from Izenu's suitcase. Tossing the standard-issue knapsack at him, Ais said, "Take only what _can't_ be left. No books, no negotiation."

"But I need those!"

"Not when we're on a mission."

"Father-"

"Would tell you the same thing. When you're at home, you can do whatever you want. It's encouraged, in fact, to have a 'normal' life between missions. But once you put on that armor, you can't be a scholar or artist or parent. You have to be a Chaser, because anything else could get you killed out there. Now, get packed. We leave as soon as everything's ready." As he left the room, he called over his shoulder, "And put your armor on!"

Ais was brought up short when he went downstairs and discovered a visitor in their kitchen. "Commander Knosis," he said. "What brings you here?"

Knosis waved a hand dismissively. "There's no need for formality here, Ais. I came to talk to you about this." He set his hand on the mission details. "You've read it already?"

"Yes, we both have."

"Then I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say that you need a third Chaser with you. It's not a slight on your or Izenu," he said as Ais began to disagree. "It's acknowledgment of how dangerous this mission could be. If your parents had taken another person, they might not have disappeared."

Ais's fist clenched momentarily. "Or you might be missing as well. Either way, do you think this will require another Chaser?"

"While Izenu is highly talented, he is still inexperienced. You are very skilled and more experienced, but I've noticed that you tend to neglect battle magics."

"You want us to take a mage with us."

"No." Knosis set a knapsack, identical to the one he'd given Izenu, on the table. "I'm going with you."

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The jungles of El Dorado contained both vibrant life and sticky heat, a far cry from the mountain town the brothers had grown up in. As sweat trickled down his back, Ais recast the ice spell on his armor. Whoever had decided that Chasers had to wear the portable ovens at all times on missions was an idiot, he decided. The thick, dark capes that he and Knosis wore didn't help with the heat, either.

They only encountered one person that day, a native priest by the name of Tzekel-Kan, who was quite willing to talk to the Chasers. He had been banished, he said, due to the actions of three visitors from the stars. One of them carried what the three called a "Keyblade", a weapon-sized key the color of pure gold. They were looking for the door to the heart of the world, so they could seal it away. At that, Knosis crisply ordered Izenu to watch the man and pulled Ais out of earshot.

"We need to get into the city and stop these people before they manage to seal this world," he said.

"The priest can get us in easily enough, I'm sure," Ais replied. "But what do we do about this 'Keyblade'?" The term felt strange and unfamiliar on his tongue.

Knosis shrugged, expression hidden by his visor. "Stop its wielder at any cost."


	2. Chapter 2

Sneaking into the city of El Dorado was as simple as landing in the jungle had been. The natives were secure behind their waterfall entrance, believing the only way in or out was by boats, carefully watched over by the guards. Perhaps less surprising was that the priesthood had long ago developed a second way, avoiding scrutiny of their movements. A narrow ledge had been carved into the cavern wall, high above the river, just wide enough to allow them to walk single-file along it.

Their first sight of the city of gold pulled a gasp from Izenu. A riot of color even more impressive than the jungle had been, beautiful enough that even Ais was impressed by it. _It would be a shame for this to be locked away where nobody else could see it_, he thought.

They made their way along back paths and secret tunnels to the inner parts of the temple, where Tzekel-Kan's burly acolyte enthusiastically greeted them. Cutting him off, the priest asked, "Have our other 'guests' found what they're looking for?"

"No, but they are planning to examine the temple after sunset tonight. It's the last place to be checked," the acolyte answered.

"Where are they now?" Ais asked.

"With the chief, but-"

"My lords, sunset is not long from now," Tzekel-Kan said. "If you are patient, they will come to us. In that time, I will be able to put the Jaguar at your service."

"You do that. We cannot afford to wait for the wielder of the Keyblade and company to come to us," Knosis said.

"Then, shall I give him to you as an escort?"

Ais shook his head. "Both of you, stay here and keep out of our way. Do your Jaguar thing, if you choose."

Once they made their way out of the temple and back onto the street, Izenu tapped Ais on the arm. "Are you sure it's wise to let him do that? Some of these more primitive worlds worship animals as gods for a reason. What if he angers one?"

Prevented from mussing Izenu's hair, Ais settled for shaking his brother's helmet back and forth. "Most likely he's just going to pray at some altar, maybe do a little chant or make a sacrifice. Nothing to worry about, Moonlight."

"The sun's beginning to set. We must have been in there longer than I thought," Knosis pointed out.

He was right; the shadows were lengthening, painting the world in shades of gray. The daytime noises were fading away along with the colors, allowing the Chasers to hear the footsteps heading their way. Exchanging glances, the trio readied their weapons; Izenu carried a light, bladed staff, and Knosis and Ais held their heavier and larger claymores at the ready as their quarry came into view.

In the growing twilight, the blond-haired man in an immaculate white suit stood out sharply. He was the first one to spot them, immediately training his gun on the Chasers. Next to him, a woman in a low-cut black dress lifted a staff that appeared to be topped by a moogle carving. Together they managed to make the redheaded girl between them look even more ordinary, except for the golden Keyblade she held. Ais was grateful the helmet concealed his face – it would have been difficult otherwise to hide the dismay he felt when he realized the girl was probably only Izenu's age.

"What have we here?" the woman asked casually.

"I don't know, Lulu. They look like trouble to me," the man answered. He smirked at them. "Care to explain yourselves, gentlemen? You see, we've an urgent appointment, and you're between us and where we need to go."

Knosis shook his head. "We can't let you seal this world away."

The blond's brow rose. "Really, now."

"But this world might be consumed by the darkness if we don't seal it away," the girl interrupted. "Think of what would happen to the people here."

"We are thinking of the people. If you do seal it, they'll never have contact with the other worlds again. They'll be trapped here," Izenu said.

"That's worse than being destroyed by the darkness?" she asked him.

"If nothing ever dies, where is there room for new things to be born? The darkness has to take worlds sometimes, in order to make room for new worlds to be created. Anyway, the odds of that happening are slim. You don't know it'll happen here if you don't seal it away, but we do know that this world will stagnate if you do. We can't let you do that."

Ais looked, really _looked_ at his brother, and saw Knosis doing the same. All that extra studying his brother did was paying off, it seemed, especially since the girl was beginning to look hesitant about going on. If they could end this without having to fight a child...

But then the Keyblade lifted, and her face was determined as she shook her head. "No. My world was taken by the darkness – my parents, my sister, my school, everything's gone. I won't let that happen again."

On the last word, she sent the key spinning through the air at Izenu, who was barely able to parry it with his staff. She was rushing him then, weapon reappearing in her hand. Ais wasn't able to watch anymore, as he had to block the fireballs and ice sent his way by Lulu. Growling, Ais deflected the magic away and attacked, taking chase when she moved away. To his left, he heard gunfire mixed with Knosis's own spellcasting.

It was maddening, fighting on the water's edge, unable to turn and watch his brother's first real battle. Lulu was deft at dodging his claymore while sending more spells his way, her wide skirt not hampering her as much as he'd thought it would. Eventually, he found himself back-to-back with Knosis.

"How are you holding up, Ais?" the older man asked.

"I'm fine," he lied, shifting his weight off the leg that had caught more of that last fireball than was comfortable. "Can you see Izenu? How's he doing?"

"Holding his own."

Risking a look, Ais realized just how far away they had moved from the teens, though the two were still on the waterline and fighting fiercely. Following his gaze, Lulu asked, "Rufus, do you think we should-"

A thundering roar, followed by an explosion, cut her off. Rocks and gravel showered down on them as the dome of Tzekel-Kan's temple was destroyed and a giant stone jaguar climbed out. From the main entrance came the priest himself, eyes glowing with poison green reflected in the jaguar's eyes, laughing wildly. They were too far away to hear what he said, but his intent was obvious when he sent a whipcord of magic down at the teenagers. It knocked their weapons out of their hands and sent them flying at the water. The Keyblade simply vanished and reappeared in the girl's hand, but Izenu's staff splashed and sank out of sight.

Ais moved to rush over to his brother, but the jaguar was suddenly there, huge and snarling. Knosis and Lulu's combined spells didn't seem to really hurt it, but the creature flinched when Rufus's bullets nailed it in the face. "Aim for its eyes," Knosis ordered as he downed an ether and tossed one to Lulu.

He knew he should help, but he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from his brother. Tzekel-Kan sent another whip of magic at the teens, knocking the Keyblade flying at him out of the air and aiming right at Izenu, who held his arms up to shield himself.

A flash of blinding light made Ais squeeze his eyes shut, and his companions exclaim in surprise. When he could see again, he glanced up at the jaguar, surprised it hadn't attacked while they couldn't see. To his utter shock, it was rubbing its eyes with one paw, much the same way Tzekel-Kan was rubbing his eyes at the top of the temple beyond it. "He's controlling it," he said.

"So if we can distract it – and the priest - enough, he and Lily might be able to stop him," Rufus said.

Ais nodded his agreement, gaze moving to where his brother-

Was standing, apparently unhurt, and holding out a Keyblade of his own, silver to her gold. Tzekel-Kan's whip was wrapped around it. Izenu looked at the weapon for a long moment, then tracked the magic back up to its source. He gave a vicious jerk on the key, dissolving the whip and making Tzekel-Kan tumble down the steps. He landed in a heap at the boy's feet.

The jaguar lowered its head and roared in sympathetic pain, drawing Ais's attention back to it. This _thing_ stood between him and his family. Shifting to a backhanded grip on his claymore, he jumped high into the air. The claymore spun in his hand and landing with a loud crack in the stone skull, cleaving a jagged gash into it. There was a scream, which cut off abruptly, from the direction of the priest and teens. It wasn't his brother's voice, so Ais ignored it, intent on widening the split in the rock under him.

Being thrown to the hard ground as the stone creature crumbled brought Ais back to his senses. He and Knosis deflected any of the stone that fell towards them, but otherwise simply watched as the inert rock came apart, most of it falling into the water next to them. When it had settled, the four scrambled over what was left, more intent on their missing numbers than on fighting each other.

Izenu had removed his helmet, his pale hair clinging damply to his head. He and Lily were yelling fiercely at each other. Tzekel-Kan was nowhere to be seen.

"How the bloody hell should I know?" Lily shouted.

"You're the almighty Keyblade master!" Izenu responded.

"It's not like it came with instructions!"

"You're going around sealing worlds away and you don't know what you're doing?"

"I didn't say that, I said I don't know why you've got one!" Lily gestured wildly with her Keyblade. "I thought this was the only one."

Seeming to calm down, Izenu scowled at her. "Obviously, you thought wrong. I wonder what else you've been wrong about?"

"Why, you sneaky little-"

"Enough, Lily," Lulu broke in. "Where's the priest?"

The Keyblade wielders exchanged glances. "Gone," Izenu answered.

"Gone how?" Knosis asked.

"Look, he's just gone, all right?" Lily exclaimed. "Let's just find that door, lock it, and get out of here."

Izenu lifted his Keyblade threateningly. "We told you earlier, we can't let you do that." Swallowing, he added, "If you lock it, I'll simply follow behind and _un_ock it."

"Actually, I don't think we have time for this," Rufus said. "We need to get out of here before the chief decides to have us all blamed for this chaos, and punished for it. This world will simply have to take its chances until we can come back to seal it." Narrowing his eyes at the Chasers, he said, "You win – this time. Let's go."

As the two parties separated for their respective gummi ships, Izenu turned to his brother. "We're simply going to let them walk away?" he asked.

"When things go unexpectedly, the best thing for us to do is back off," Knosis answered him. "Reexamine our information, adapt plans as needed."

"But how are we going to find them again?" Waving his Keyblade, he added, "And what am I supposed to do about this?"

Ais chuckled tiredly. "We'll find them again, Moonlight, don't worry. As for your new toy, there's no reason not to keep it. You did drop your own weapon, you know."

Izenu bristled at both the nickname and the disapproving tone, too tired to hear the teasing behind it. "I didn't mean to lose it. Tzek-" His mouth snapped shut, and he jammed his helmet back on without another word.

Silence reigned among them as they moved along the secret exit, the roar of the waterfall further discouraging speaking. Once they were into the jungle, though, Knosis dropped a hand onto Izenu's shoulder. "You will have to tell us what happened eventually, Izenu."

The teen sighed. "I know," he said. "But after we get off this world, please?"

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The onboard computer chirped softly at itself as it tracked the other gummi ship, the only other object moving away from El Dorado. After setting the autopilot, Knosis retired to his bunk, bidding the younger two a good night.

"We should get some rest, too," Ais said. When there was no response, he glanced over at his brother. Izenu was staring out into space, hands clasped under his chin and an intent look on his face. He obviously hadn't heard a word. Crossing the small room, Ais gently shook the boy's shoulder. "Are you still awake, Moonlight?"

"I think I killed him." Surprised by the seemingly-random response, Ais nearly asked who Izenu had killed, but shut his mouth when the teen continued speaking. He described how, after pulling Tzekel-Kan down the side of the temple, the priest had begged for mercy. Lily was on the verge of healing the worst of his injuries, despite Izenu's disbelief, when Tzekel-Kan suddenly clutched his head and screamed. Seeing his chance, Izenu had struck his Keyblade directly into the man's heart.

"His body just vanished, and a small black creature appeared. It jumped at her, but she hit it with her Keyblade and it disappeared too. We started arguing, then you and the commander came up." Izenu had curled up as he spoke, knees now pressed to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. It was the only outward sign that he was not taking the night's events well.

Ais sighed. "Scoot over a bit," he said. The chairs weren't quite large enough for both of them, but Ais persisted, pulling his brother to lean against him, Izenu practically in his lap. They hadn't sat like this since Ais was eighteen and Izenu ten, and Ais had had to tell him that their parents were missing and considered dead. "Listen to me, Izenu. Tzekel-Kan was a danger, and you did what you needed to do to protect yourself. He was controlling that jaguar, and stopping him stopped it."

The tension was leaking out of Izenu's body. "So it was the right thing to do?"

"Yes, Moonlight, it was the right thing."

"Wish you wouldn't call me that."

"It's your name." Ais looked down at him, deciding it was too much effort to try to get himself and his brother to their proper beds. They'd survive sleeping out here.

Izenu wasn't quite done arguing, even as drowsy as he was. "Translation."

"Close enough. Appropriate, too." A white lock of hair was gently tugged in demonstration.

A small sound of disapproval was his only answer. Following his brother's example, Ais leaned his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes. Sleep found him quickly.


	3. Chapter 3

Their next encounter took place at a white castle near the tiny little town of Maple's Well.

"I am afraid this is not the best time, monsieurs," said the slender man who greeted them just inside the entrance. "The master is with other visitors."

"This is urgent," Knosis said. "He'll just have to forgive us for interrupting him."

A raised eyebrow implied that that might be easier said than done, but he simply gave a small bow and said, "Very well. Follow me, monsieurs."

The door to the small audience chamber he led them to was slightly open, allowing a man's voice to drift out. "I still do not see how allowing you to do this is to my advantage."

"Prince Vincent, please reconsider," Rufus said smoothly. "It would only take one small scrap of darkness gaining a foothold here to spell disaster. You have a young son, I believe? What would happen to him if the worst should occur?"

"Lumiere and Cogsworth would provide for Adam in a manner benefiting his station," the prince snapped.

Their escort tapped on the door.

"I said I was not to be interrupted!"

Rolling his eyes, Ais stepped past the servant and pushed the door all the way open. "You'll have to forgive the intrusion, Your Highness. We are in pursuit of dangerous criminals, and wanted to ensure your safety."

"Criminals!" Lily sputtered, leaping to her feet. Her green eyes were wide in outrage.

Prince Vincent pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let me guess. You are going to tell me that under no circumstance should I allow them to lock the heart of this world, correct?" The three Chasers nodded.

The prince promptly shouted for his guards.

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"Nice going, Ais," Izenu said, trying to smooth down his helmet-rumpled hair. Ais, having retreated to the barred window, ignored him in favor of staring out. The dungeon was crowded with the six of them inside of it.

"Don't blame him for everything," Lily told him. "Prince Vincent is a pompous, arrogant-"

"Lily," Lulu said warningly.

"Can't you use your Keyblade to unlock the door and let us out of here?" Knosis asked Lily.

She shook her head. "It can't unlock things, only lock them."

"That's ridiculous," Izenu said. "What good is a key that can't unlock?"

"The purpose of the golden Keyblade is to lock things, be it worlds or doors...or hearts," Rufus pointed out. "But everything has its opposite. Perhaps you should try _your_ Keyblade on the door."

Ais could see Izenu's jaw clench from across the room. With a flash of light, his silver weapon was in hand. "How do I do this, then?" he asked Lily. "Somehow, I doubt it'll fit into the keyhole."

She rolled her eyes. "Point and shoot is how I usually use it. Just aim it at the hole and will it to open."

"Sounds..."

"I know. Just try it, will you? This place reminds me of one of one of my classrooms."

"You had a class in a dungeon?"

"You'd be surprised where I've had classes. Can we go now?"

Izenu shook his head and pointed the key at the door. A thin beam of white light shot out of the tip, connecting with the lock. The click was loud in the quiet room.

Ais was the first one out of the room, breathing deeply and retrieving his claymore and spiked helmet from where the guards had placed them on a table in the antechamber. Knosis followed more slowly to pick up his confiscated items. Izenu, lacking an apparent weapon when they were locked up, only had to take back his helmet. Ais fastened his helmet on and turned around just in time to see Lily and her companions vanishing down a half-hidden stairwell. "Where do you think you're going?" he called out, chasing after them. The sound of boots against stone behind him indicated that Izenu and Knosis were following.

Lily's voice drifted up to them. "We're going to find the door to the world and lock it, of course!"

"That won't work very well with us right behind them," Izenu muttered. Ais was inclined to agree.

They came out into a small chamber that looked like it might have once served as a chapel, but had long since fallen into disuse. Still, there were a few torches lit here and there, allowing them to make out most of the room. Behind where the alter once stood was a wooden door, edged in gold and lacking a handle. "That's it," Lily said, Keyblade appearing in a flash of gold.

"So, you would come here, with or without my consent," Prince Vincent said, rising from the first pew and turning to face them.

"It's for the good of your world, and your people," Rufus told him.

"So you claim. And yet, these others are inclined to disagree. Who should I believe?"

"Look, I'm locking that door, whether you like it or not," Lily said.

"Such arrogance from a girl of such low birth." Disdain dripped from each word.

Lily made an incoherent sound of anger, then snapped her Keyblade at the door. Light gathered at the tip, then shot out. Instead of hitting the door, though, it pierced the chest of the prince, who had stepped between Lily and the door at the last instant. When the light faded, she lowered the key, breath coming in little pants as if she was on the verge of hyperventilating. Prince Vincent was gone.

Izenu stepped up and placed his weapon against her throat. "I think you've caused enough damage here," he told her.

Rufus's gun was cocked and aimed at Izenu, making Ais tense and shift his grip on his claymore. "I'd consider moving away from her if I were you," the gunman warned.

"Stop it." Lily pushed Izenu's Keyblade away from her, letting her own vanish as she stepped back. "Let's go," she said.

"Are you sure?" Lulu asked her.

"Yeah." Turing to look at the Chasers, she promised, "Next time, though, I won't just walk away."

Ais watched them disappear up the stairs. "We should go after them," he said.

"We need to deal with this first," Knosis told him. "The family and servants need to be notified that Prince Vincent is gone."

"I think she turned him into a summon gem," Izenu called out from the front of the room. He held up a stone about the size of his fist that was the same deep blue as the prince's coat. "Look, a locked heart. I've always wondered how they were made."

Ais mentally heaved a sigh. _My brother, the perpetual scholar._

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Though some of the servants eyed them suspiciously, the Chasers were assured that the bodiless funeral would be taken care of. When Knosis inquired about Prince Vincent's wife, he was told that she had died giving birth to their only child, a son. "The young master is hardly more than a baby, monsieurs," Lumiere said. "But, since we are all he has left now, we will take very good care of him, give him whatever he desires. It is what the master would have wanted."


	4. Chapter 4

The next few worlds were exercises in frustration. The other group had picked up enough of a headstart after Maple's Well that, by the time the Chasers arrived at the next world, Lily had already been there, locked the door, and gone again. Izenu recieved much practice in unlocking the worlds, but every time they stopped to do so they lost more time. Finally, Ais called a halt to it. "We're never going to catch them this way."

Izenu looked out the gummi ship's windows to the world below. "So we're just going to let this world be locked away?"

"The computer says that they call their home 'Destiny Islands.' Why would they wish to leave a place like that, anyway?" At his brother's skeptical look, Ais sighed. "The barrier is due to go up any moment, Izenu. I have no desire to be down there when it does, even if it's only for a short time. We need to stop the source, not fix things as they happen."

"I suppose you're right," Izenu said.

They eventually landed in the forest outside the walls of Twilight Town, near the other gummi ship and close to a mansion. Izenu's Keyblade appeared almost as soon as his feet hit the earth, and Ais glanced at him questioningly. The teen shook his head. "They haven't locked it yet." The key lifted in his hand, pointed at the mansion. "Let's look in there first."

The gate was already open when they approached. The older two entered the courtyard slowly, looking behind the white arches for ambushes. Izenu simply ignored them, marching directly up the center and pushing the front door open. Ais growled in the back of his throat as he chased after him. "Izenu, wait."

"There's nobody here," Izenu said over his shoulder. He ran his fingers over the edge of the nearest display table, which held a model of a castle. Upstairs and to their right, a thump sounded, and Izenu corrected himself, "The _owners_ aren't here."

"Well, yes and no. Everyone else is in town, of course, enjoying the festival." Rufus's voice halted them on the landing, halfway to the second-floor balcony. The blond was leaning on the frame of the doorway to a room to the left of the entrance, smiling up at them from across the foyer. "But, technically speaking, _I _am the owner of this house, and I am very much present and welcome here. You, however, are trespassing."

Knosis raised his claymore and looked up at Ais and Izenu, who already stood on the next flight of steps. "You two go on. I'll take care of him." When Ais didn't move at first, Knosis snapped, "That wasn't a suggestion, Chaser!"

"Yes sir, Commander, sir," Ais said, turning and taking the stairs up to the second floor where his brother waited. Gunshots rang out, and Ais pushed Izenu through the door ahead of him, then slammed it behind them, shutting out the sound of wood and other materials breaking.

They found themselves in a library, the floor of which vanished after a few feet, leaving them a ledge to stand on. Izenu let the end of his Keyblade hang over the edge, trailing it along there as he walked over to the staircase. It made a solid _thunk_ sound as it connected. He nodded, but prodded each stair with the tip of his weapon before setting foot on it. Torn between amusement at his brother and concern for Knosis, Ais followed him into what appeared to be the basement.

An open door and voices to their left directed their path, though Ais grabbed Izenu's shoulder and forcefully placed him in the back before they proceeded. Probably a useless precaution, but it still made Ais feel better. Fortunately, the corridor they followed had no offshoots, leading them directly to their quarry.

Lulu announced her presence with a fireball that smashed harmlessly against Ais's claymore, quickly followed by a barrage of ice. Ais moved forward and swung his blade, which she blocked with her staff. Lulu retreated under his attack, back to where the hallway ended in a small chamber. It was lit by the glow of Lily's Keyblade, already starting to lock the door. The darkness retreated further, Ais noticed as he fought, when Izenu's key joined Lily's. He was trying to unlock it at the same time Lily locked it.

There was a sudden blaze of light. Lulu jumped back from him, half turning and shading her eyes to see what was going on. Ais turned as well, forced to squint even with the tinting on his visor.

The door to the heart of the world was glowing white, brighter than the sun outside. Both Keyblades were glowing just as brightly, though the light ended at the hilts. Streams of light connected the keys to the door and twined around the teens.

Just as abruptly as it had started, the light vanished, leaving them blinking in the dim until their eyes adjusted. Izenu was running his hand over the wall, visor up to show his puzzled look. "Where'd the door go?" he asked.

"Better yet, what happened to your keys?" Lulu countered.

Lily had a dumbfounded expression on her face as she examined her Keyblade. Where the glow had been, the weapons had inverted colors; Izenu now had a golden shaft with a silver hilt, while Lily's was silver with a golden hilt. Izenu stared down at his key, then gave Lily an accusing look. "This is all your fault," he told her.

She gave him a large, artificial smile...then took off running towards the exit. Izenu was right on her heels, shouting insults and for her to face him already. Behind him, Lulu heaved a sigh. "If he doesn't kill her, I think I might just lock her in her room for the rest of her life," the mage said dryly.

Ais snorted. "I'd say the same about him, but it wouldn't do any good anymore," he replied as they began jogging after the two teens.

He heard the sound of metal being crushed, and was just in time to yank Lulu out of the doorway before the overhead pipes crashed down, blocking the door. Looking up, he saw Izenu's Keyblade reappear in his hand to block Lily's next swing before she ducked out of the room. The door didn't even swing all the way shut before Izenu slammed it back open, chasing after her. Lulu scooped up the hem of her dress and began climbing the stairs. "Where's your third companion?" she asked him.

"With yours, I imagine," he said. "Do you think they'll stop them?" She shrugged.

A glance over the railing of the balcony answered his question. The foyer was ruined, furniture smashed. The two men in question stood in the middle of it, weapons lowered, staring at the front doors, which were barely beginning to close.

"Some help you are," Lulu called out as she hurried down the steps.

Knosis looked over at Ais as the younger man approached them. "Did they switch Keyblades for some reason?"

"We aren't sure what they did," Ais said.

"Then why are we standing around here?" Rufus asked. "Let's go after them, because if one kills the other it'll be much harder to find out."

Rufus's white suit was easy to track through the forest, as was the Keyblade wielders' path of destruction. He led them to an opening in the large wall, then stopped in dismay. "There's supposed to be a gate here," he said, indicating the irregular hole.

Peering through it, Knosis pointed at a twisted pile of metal. "That gate?"

"She'll probably head for the Sandlot," Lulu said. "It has more open space for fighting."

"Except today is a holiday, which means the place will be packed." Rufus took lead once more, feet hurrying to the archway as he spoke. "Nearly the entire town will be there."

They arrived just as the crowd was beginning to realize that the fight was not part of the day's entertainment. Several large men were moving towards the teens, obviously intending to break them up. Lily must have spotted them, because she suddenly flung her hands out, palms outward, one at Izenu and the other at the men. "Stop!" she shouted, momentarily silencing the crowd. When both parties did so, she took a deep breath and addressed Izenu. "This fight, this war between Keyblades, is between you and me." Looking at the men, then at the four who had just arrived, she said, "That means that we can't have anyone else interfering. So, everyone needs to back off."

Izenu was nodding. "A one-on-one struggle. That sounds perfectly acceptable."

"I don't like it," Knosis told Ais quietly.

"I think my brother knows what he is doing," the younger man replied. "Hopefully, this will end this mad dance."

A square was quickly cleared around the two, then they resumed fighting, Keyblades clashing in a shower of sparks. Rufus, apparently not very concerned in the outcome, became involved in a discussion with a blond man of about the same age. Ais was impressed; some of the curses the other man casually sprinkled between his words were ones that even he hadn't heard before.

"Cid's got some mouth on him, right?" the man next to him asked, grinning. Unlike most of the other townsfolk here with their short hairstyles, this one kept his black hair long and in a ponytail, out of his brown eyes. Grinning, he added, "Guy smokes like crazy, too, but he's a pretty good pilot."

Turning back to the battle, Ais said, "I fail to see how this concerns me."

"Yeah, you're probably more worried about your little friend out there, aren't ya? Think he's got the advantage, though, unless the girl's sneakier than she looks."

Cid suddenly stopped mid-sentence and demanded, "What the hell?" He turned to the man next to Ais. "You smell smoke, Braig, or am I just going crazy?"

Though he was doing his best to ignore them, Ais took a deep breath. _I don't smell-_

The thunder of hooves combined with the crackle of fire as a group of horsemen rode into the Sandlot, swords and torches swinging wildly.

Cid's language became far more colorful.

"Rufus, you're obviously the native." Knosis swung his claymore, sweeping one rider off his horse. "Who are they?"

"They haven't attacked in years." Rufus's face was strained, but his aim as sharp as it ever was. "Why are they attacking today?"

"Who, dammit?" Cid demanded.

"Bandits from the woods." He gave the Chasers an unreadable look. "Did you think that wall was just for decoration?" Pulling his gun from its holster, Rufus added, "You might want to consider defending yourselves, because I don't think they will care whether you're from here or not."

Ais grit his teeth, then gave his brother one last glance before allowing the battle to sweep over him.


	5. Chapter 5

Duck and slash, then turn to keep them from sneaking up behind. Ais let the claymore move nearly on its own, cutting down attackers who dared to get too close. He'd lost track of everyone else by now, movement of the battle pulling them all in different directions. There was a momentary lull, then some fool dared approach him from behind. Ais spun and jumped, ready to bring his weapon down on his attacker's head.

Fortunately for Lily, her Keyblade was strong enough to withstand deflecting a battle-maddened man land on it with a sword. "Hey man, watch it!" Braig said, yanking the girl back. "You don't need to be attacking us."

Ais shook his head to clear it. "Where's Izenu?"

"I'm not sure. We lost track of each other almost immediately," Lily said.

"You mean that other kid with the big key?" Ais nodded, focusing his attention on him. Braig was holding a blood-soaked cloth to one side of his face, but it didn't seem to impair his speech. "Think I saw him fighting up near the train station."

"Wait," Lily said as Ais began to leave. "Do you have a Potion or an Ether or something? His face is sliced up pretty good and I don't have any way of healing it."

"Aw man, you don't have to ask for me. I'm fine, it's just a little cut."

Rolling his eyes, Ais stepped back and grabbed Braig's wrist. "How bad is it?"

Scowling, the other man allowed him to move the cloth away, revealing a deep gash from just below his left eye down to his jaw. "It's fine if you can't do anything, I totally understand-"

"Shut up." He did a perfunctory cure, which stopped the bleeding and sealed the wound enough to prevent infection. "That's probably going to leave a scar, but at least you won't bleed to death."

"Thanks, man." He gingerly wiped away the excess blood, then dropped the cloth on the ground.

Ais didn't bother to reply. He hefted his claymore and headed for the station.

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The smoke was thicker now, bringing it closer to gloom than twilight. The bandits seemed to have left – the survivors, at any rate – and the townsfolk were busy putting out the fires. Ais strode past them, sword over his shoulder, focused on locating a certain armored figure.

Knosis and Izenu found him first, standing by the weapon shop and scowling as he tried to decide which direction to search next.

"Ais!" Izenu called out, hurrying ahead of the commander and skidding to a halt in front of his brother.

"Izenu. You're unhurt?" A glance at Knosis included him in the question.

"Of course. Whatever happened to the Keyblade didn't affect how well it works."

"Not that it's improved your common sense," Knosis interjected. "I found him wandering around with his helmet off, shouting for you," he told Ais.

Ais smiled at the image, then sobered. "We should head to the gummi ship, so we can cut them off before they can get to the next world."

Izenu shook his head. "No, we don't. There's no point to it. We actually should be heading home as quickly as possible."

"You felt it too?" Lily asked as she approached the group, alone and empty-handed for once.

"I was there too," he pointed out. "Of course I felt it."

"Then perhaps you could enlighten the two of us who have no idea what you're talking about?" Knosis suggested.

Glancing at her fellow Keyblade wielder for confirmation as she spoke, Lily said, "When we used the Keyblades at the same time, we were able to lock all of the doors to all of the worlds at once."

"Which means all of the barriers will be going up soon," Izenu added. "So we need to go home before that happens, or we won't be able to."

"Are you staying here, then?" Ais asked Lily.

She shook her head. "I'm going with Cid and Braig to their world. They've got their own gummi ship, and Braig says there's room for me on it. He's gone off to find Cid and get some supplies, and Rufus and Lulu are busy trying to put the town back together, so," she gave them a strained smile, "I thought I'd come see you guys off."

_And possibly make sure we don't attempt anything as we leave_, Ais thought. _Though I'm not sure what she thinks we might do at this point_.

They didn't speak much as Lily led them through the Tram Common and into the woods. It wasn't until they reached the parked ships that Izenu tugged off his helmet and faced Lily. "I know we don't get along," he told her. "I'm not sure if it's just that we were on conflicting missions, or that we also have differing philosophies on certain subjects." He gave her a rueful grin, which she returned. "Either way, we're never going to see each other again, so...I don't hate you."

Lily laughed. "That's certainly good to know. I don't hate you either, Izenu. Or either of you," she added, addressing Ais and Knosis.

The teens stood there awkwardly for a moment, before Izenu broke it with, "So, good luck."

"You too. Go on, you probably have a long way to travel."

"Yeah."

Ais could see her from the cockpit, watching them leave, shading her eyes against the blast. Eventually, even the red of her hair vanished into the green of the forest as they moved further away, then out into space. Izenu only stared out at the stars, occasionally drumming his fingers against the helmet in his lap.

"Could worlds still be taken by the darkness?" Ais asked suddenly. His brother had always known about things like that better than he had, and being a Keyblade master could only add to his knowledge.

"No," Izenu answered. "That's why they were locking the doors, remember? To stop the darkness from destroying worlds. I suppose that they could still be taken, if someone were to open the door and make the barrier fall, but only Keyblade masters can do that, and right now that's limited to Lily and myself."

"So once we land, we'll be trapped." Ais frowned as he spoke. Even with a whole world available, he didn't like the idea of not being able to leave if he wanted to.

Izenu gave him a smile. "Don't worry," he said, as if he could read Ais's thoughts. "If it really starts to bother you, I'll open our door. I promise."

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They barely made it in time; the barrier around their world went up the same night the three arrived home. It was an impressive display, if nothing else. Taking advantage of the fairly warm summer night, Ais and Izenu watched it from partway up a moutain, about a mile from their home. They stayed out there late into the night, long after the glow faded from the sky and the stars reappeared.

"It's finished," Ais eventually said.

"Yeah," Izenu replied, dropping his gaze and kicking a rock down the slope.

"Come on, Moonlight." Ais dropped an arm around his shoulders. "Let's go home."


	6. Chapter 6

The next several months passed slowly. Izenu immersed himself once more in his studies, while Ais and Knosis worked with other compounds to find a place for Chasers now that they were limited to the one world. Ais thought that, once they had that worked out, life would regain normalcy for everyone.

Then a meteor hit a few miles to the northwest of their town. It was an odd enough event that Knosis had a small party of Chasers sent out to investigate it. They came back the next day, claiming that the dead were walking in the crater. Knosis, when he heard this, simply selected a different group to re-examine the impact sight. The first group was sent home "To clear their heads of whatever fancy's caught them," he told Ais. Nobody thought much of it except Izenu, who found Ais's repeat of the event fascinating, but nothing to be concerned about.

"Probably just gases making them hallucinate," the teen said. "I hope they come back soon. The professor said he would take some of us up there to study the impact and any materials left."

Izenu's desired field trip never happened. Two days after they had been sent out, three of the six Chasers stumbled into town. It was true, they claimed. Friends and family known to be dead were up there, walking and talking. The absent three had elected to remain with lost loved ones in the crater. Knosis promptly sent for the original party, wanting to better compare the stories.

That was how they discovered the disease. Those infected – most of the Chasers sent the first time – became lethargic, their energy slowly drained away. At the same time, a type of rot crept over various parts of their bodies, occasionally oozing a black liquid. It was spreading to the families as well, as Ais discovered when a distraught husband pulled him aside and rolled up his sleeve to display the purplish blight spreading down his arm.

He came home afterwards to a silent town. When he reported his findings to Knosis, the commander simply nodded. "It's spreading here, too. The healers are doing their best, but..." He sank back in his chair with a tired sigh. Ais eyed him warily; was he simply working too hard, or-? Catching the look, Knosis snorted. "I don't have the 'crisis from the stars', as they're calling it, Ais. People simply keep looking at me as if I'm in charge or something around here."

"I wonder why," Ais said dryly, hiding his relief.

The sickness continued to spread, then began claiming lives. As Ais looked over the top of a list of statistics on victims at his brother hungrily wolfing down dinner while reading a lab report, he knew that there was only one way for this to get worse.

Three days later he was proven wrong.

It was after dinner, when Ais and Izenu were having their now-routine argument over whether Izenu would return to the healers' building and continue searching for a cure, or if he would go upstairs and sleep for a few hours. Ais thought he was winning, since Izenu was just this side of swaying on his feet, when there was a pounding on the door.

It was a boy from down the street, the only one in a family of five who wasn't affected by the illness. "Monsters!" he blurted. "Monsters with the star crisis, and dead people! They took my _sister!_"

"Calm down," Ais ordered, gripping the boy's shoulders and giving him a tiny shake. Beside him, Izenu coolly observed the invasion underway.

"This is probably happening wherever the disease spread to, isn't it?" Izenu asked quietly. "And it's going to keep spreading over the whole world until nothing else is left."

"Probably," Ais answered. The boy gave a hiccuping sob.

In the same tone, he asked, "Do you trust me, Ais?"

"Moonlight, if you have a plan I am all ears."

"Hey, listen to me." Izenu turned the boy to face him and looked him in the eye. "This is very important. Do you know where the gummi ships are?" A nod. "Good. Go there, and get in the biggest one. If you come across anyone _without_ the star crisis, tell them to go with you on the order of the Chasers. Understand?"

After the boy ran off, Ais said, "The barrier won't let anyone off the planet."

For the first time since they had come home, the Keyblade flashed into his brother's hand. "Don't worry about the barrier."

They soon came across Knosis in their quest to collect the healthy townspeople, and recruited him without hesitation. It didn't take very long to find them all – it was a depressingly low number of people that were crammed into the large gummi ship. Ais got the last person settled, and turned to ask what the next step in his brother's master plan was, when the teen jumped out of the ship. Feeling like he'd been doused with a bucket of cold water, Ais jumped out and ran after him. He ignored Knosis calling for both of them to come back.

The rot-covered creatures, some barely resembling the wildlife they had started out as, were thick in the area. Ais, his blood still singing from the battle to round up the others, had no problem using his claymore to clear his path. Izenu held his own for a short time, but the dark night combined with exhaustion, soon tripping him. Two of the wolf-like creatures immediately pounced on him, sinking teeth and claws into his body.

Ais saw red as he closed the gap, easily cleaving one beast in two. A spin of his sword quickly cut down the second and slashed at an approaching third. There was a pause, as he snarled at those nearby before they decided to seek easier prey. Ais knelt next to his brother, who had moved up onto his hands and knees.

"You little idiot, you could have been killed, "Ais told him. "What do you think you're doing out here?"

"I have to open the door," Izenu said, wincing as he probed the deep gouges in his leg. He was covered in cuts and bites, some quite severe, that had gone unheeded in the earlier scramble. Even in the dark, Ais could tell that Izenu needed medical attention, and soon, but he had no way of helping him just then.

The best thing, he concluded, would be to get Izenu to his goal quickly, so they could return to the ship, which had to have an emergency supply of Potions if nothing else. He pulled one of Izenu's arms over his shoulders and wrapped an arm around his brother's waist, lifting him and supporting most of his weight as they stood. "I really hope you know where the door is, because I can't see myself carrying you all over the world looking for it."

Izenu's shoulders momentarily shook with silent laughter, then he pointed at the Chaser compound. "In the smithy. I noticed it after we came back."

By some miracle they weren't attacked as they made their slow way inside and across the compound. The smithy was built against a low hill at the back, slightly isolated from the other buildings. As they entered, Ais noticed for the first time the small ornate door directly across from them.

"Stay here," Izenu said, pulling away. "I can stand well enough on my own."

Ais leaned against the entrance frame, watching the familiar sight of Izenu standing in front of the door, Keyblade level in front of him and glowing brightly. It wasn't something he expected to see again.

The light suddenly went out without a trace, and the door opened with a bang. Darkness poured out, slamming Izenu back into Ais and throwing them both out of the building. Ais sat up, shifting Izenu to lean against him. Darkness flowed away from the smithy, sinking into the ground and splitting it open. Izenu didn't stir, even as the earth began to rumble, but Ais didn't need him to know what was happening.

Their world was being consumed by the dark, but as he cradled his brother's limp body, all Ais could think was, _Don't take his heart, he's too young, so much potential still left_. Nothing else really mattered to him. _Don't take my brother's heart from him._

A tendril of darkness moved towards them. Ais tensed, but it only stroked Izenu's cheek, almost lovingly. _Champion_, the darkness whispered without sound. _His heart is his own until he asks._ It wrapped around Izenu, pulling him effortlessly from Ais's arms and sight as the world dissolved around them. He choked on his cry of protest as his own heart was swallowed, neatly severed from his body and soul as the darkness soaked into his being. The loss was a physical pain deep inside, an aching sense of missing.

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He lost all sense of time, wandering the darkness. He wasn't sure how long it was before he stumbled across the dark city, a memory of surprise that something like this existed here. The small creatures in the streets gave no attention to him, lacking a heart to draw them. It could have been months or years that he slowly explored the place.

The two men who came across him seemed shocked to see another person there. The younger one, who let his silvery hair cover half his face, stood back as the taller blond circled him. "Xemnas did theorize that there might be others like us, Vexen," he said. "There's no reason to act surprised."

Vexen paused his study to narrow his eyes at his companion. "Perhaps I simply wished to make sure he was what he seemed. It pays to be cautious, after all."

"Yet you are the one approaching him. Which of us is more cautious?" A smirk. "I believe we should take him to our esteemed leader. It's not every day that we find another humanoid Nobody."

He made no objections to being taken to their stronghold, or the black coat he was given to wear, since his own clothes were long ruined. There was, really, no point in objecting. He was vaguely interested in meeting their 'esteemed leader', being something different from constantly wandering dark roads.

When the Superior entered the room, though, he knew that he would do whatever it took to remain in the white castle. He wasn't about to abandon his brother now, different name or not.


End file.
